Injured Clio soldier will attend State of the Union address at invitation of Congressman Kildee

Army Sgt. First Class Cameron Corder will be in attendance during the Tuesday, Jan. 28 State of the Union address following his acceptance of an invitation by Congressman Dan Kildee to the event.Courtesy Photo

CLIO, MI -- When President Barack Obama takes the podium in the U.S. Capitol at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, for his State of the Union address, Clio soldier Cameron Corder will be among the faces in the crowd.

“It’s actually a very unique opportunity that no one would expect to be called and go do,” said Corder, recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. “For an opportunity to sit in the Hall of Congress and hear the president speak is a huge honor.”

Bethany Corder, Cameron’s wife, said her husband was a little hesitant at first, not sure he had the proper attire, but following some prodding from her and assistance from Kildee’s office, he will attend.

“Congressman Dan Kildee is honored that Army Sgt. First Class Cameron Corder will be able to join him as his guest to President Obama’s State of the Union address tomorrow,” said Mitchell Rivard, spokesman for Kildee. “Sgt. Corder selflessly served his country overseas in Afghanistan and represents the very best of not only Michigan but our entire nation.”

Following his 2001 graduation from Clio High School, Corder joined the Army National Guard, having served a tour of duty in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and three overseas tours in the Middle East.

During his medic duties, Corder said he’s aided in helping anyone from British Special Air Service, to Marines, commandos, children and work dogs or anyone else that may not be able to receive sufficient medical care in their region.

His unit had a high number of missions, said Corder, who joined the military because he wasn’t sure what direction he wanted to go after high school. Following basic traning and individual technical training “I kind of fell in love with it and loved it ever since.”

Corder hurt his back in August 2013 during a medic mission in Afghanistan and was eventually moved to Germany where he underwent surgeries on a herniated disc that had left him without movement in his pelvis, right leg and loss of bladder control.

He’s been diagnosed with caudia equina syndrome that affects nerve roots at the lower end of the spinal cord and can lead to leg paralysis and incontinence. Corder has been undergoing 1 to 1.5 hours of physical therapy a day at Walter Reed, as well as 30 minutes of occupational therapy and doses of daily medicine for the pain.

Bethany Corder said he's shown improvements following multiple surgeries to ease pressure from the nerves in his back and subsequent infection, with Corder able to walk short distances on two canes, bending over and tying his own shoes and showering with no assistance.

Corder said he could be moved in the next week or two into a rehabilitation facility at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor or Detroit Medical Center, allowing him a chance to see his 7-year-old daughter Charlotte and 3-year-old daughter Emmalynn for the first time in more than 10 months.

Bethany Corder’s been able to travel every weekend to Walter Reed to spend time with her husband. She said he hasn’t been sure how to deal with the spotlight on him, noting “Cameron has always been a very humble man.

“He has never been the type of soldier to boast about his service. He doesn’t like to wear his uniform in public because he doesn’t like the attention that it brings,” she said. "He’s very humble. He just feels like he’s doing his job and doesn’t need any extra attention because of it.”

Cards have flooded into family from across the country, Bethany Corder said, thanking people for their well wishes. As far as the State of the Union invitation, Bethany Corder was excited about the opportunity being afforded to Corder, with the couple's 7-year-old daughter Charlotte asking if her dad would be meeting the president.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is not something that a regular guy from Clio gets to do,” she said, expressing her pride in the work her husband has done in helping others his entire military career. “It’s just amazing. This is so incredible.”

She will be recording the speech, with the possibility of seeing her husband in the crowd providing extra incentive to keep her eyes glued to the TV during the address.

“Now I have a huge reason to stay tuned,” she said.

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